


Rumor has it

by Ariel_Hedgehog



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-13 05:31:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4509678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariel_Hedgehog/pseuds/Ariel_Hedgehog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a rumor threatens Principal Mills' reputation, she has to take the matter into her own hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rumor has it

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little story to keep the Muse motivated. Not Beta-ed and English isn't my first language. Thanks for reading!

“Oh! Guess who is the newest hottest couple according to our students!” 

Regina swallowed her last gulp of coffee and looked at her friend and coworker with question marks in her eyes.

“You and Emma Swan!”  
“Who?”  
“Emma Swan? The gym teacher?”  
“I’m sorry Kathryn, I don’t know who that is.”  
“The blonde who works with Frederick!” Kathryn almost shouted.  
“Ah! I see. And what has caused this rumor to spread?”

Kathryn finished her bagel before she answered.

“Apparently Mary-Margaret Blanchard has seen the two of you leave the same car a few mornings ago and it snowballed from there.”

Regina barely refrained the groan from escaping her lips. Mary-Margaret Blanchard had never accepted that she had refused her father’s advances when she was a child and she had made her life a living hell since then.

“And she jumped from coworkers to couple from that? A bit thin, don’t you think?” Regina asked as she signaled the waiter for the bill.

She paid for her breakfast and Kathryn’s since it was her turn then put on her trench coat and scarf before going outside.

“From what I heard, Emma got a single red rose yesterday for her birthday and according to the students it was from you. And there’s the sweater incident.”

Regina fetched her keys in her purse and unlocked her car.

“The sweater incident?”  
“While Mary-Margaret was exposing her theory, Ruby Lucas remembered that she saw you last weekend at the mall and that you were wearing a black sweater with a swan on it. Mary-Margaret squealed when she heard that.”

Regina rolled her eyes.

“Well let me tell you what really happened. I gave miss Swan a ride to school because I found her stranded on the side of the road with that deathtrap she calls a car. I didn’t send her flowers and the sweater was a gift from Henry after I brought him to see Swan Lake last summer. Satisfied?”  
“Nope. I have to admit their theory could make sense but I know you better. I’ll see you on Monday!”

On her way home, an evil thought made its way into Regina’s mind. It was payback time.

***  
On Monday morning, she fortunately ran into Emma Swan on her way to her office.

“Miss Swan!” Regina called rather loudly. “I would like to have a word with you.”

Her tone didn’t leave space for interpretation so Emma followed her. Regina told her secretary to hold her messages and closed the door behind her.

“It has come to my attention that the student have decided that you and I are a couple. Although it’s not the first time I am the subject of that kind of gossip, I have decided it would be the last. Would you like to help me?”

Emma sighed.

“What is it with those kids and fantasizing their teachers as couples? When it’s not me and Neal, it’s me and Killian! Have you heard the one about Leroy and Astrid?”

Regina smiled.

“Actually that one is true. But I believe they started dating after the students decided they were a couple. So I can count on you?”  
“Yes! Let’s show them our private lives are not for them to tamper with. How far are you willing to go?”  
“As far as it takes. We will teach them a lesson if it’s the last thing we do.”  
“Perfect! When do we start?”  
“Right now. I believe a few students saw you coming here so I suggest you leave with ruffled hair and adjusting your clothes. But wait until the last second so you arrive late. In the mean time, we could write down ideas of what we’re going to do.”

They spent the next ten minutes planning and laughing. When the bell rang, Emma loosened her ponytail a little and let a few locks escape before she lifted her t-shirt about two inches.  
“Perfect! I’ll see you later.”

Emma gave her a thumb up then left. She walked quickly past the desk of Regina’s secretary, Archie, and to the gym where Frederick was waiting for her with a group of students. Emma tugged her shirt down then rearranged her hair.

“Sorry! The principal needed my help with something.”

Over the next few weeks, the two women had tons of fun making the rumor mill explode. It had come to a point where even the other teachers we participating. Every time they were in the same room, they would exchange heated looks and private smiles, they would find excuses to see each other more often and make detours to “accidently” run into each other in the corridors. During their public meetings, they would steal glances and if they had to hand each other documents or coffee cups, Emma would often let her fingers linger a bit too long and Regina would blush. One day, Emma arrived with a long face and Regina kept her in her office until she felt better. When Mary-Margaret saw them hugging, she almost burst with excitement.

Just before Thanksgiving, they decided to up the game. A friend of Emma’s started to show up after work to pick her up and bringing her lunch and small gifts. Regina acted normal and kept the charade but she seemed more tense around Emma. 

When they talked about it over drinks one night the women were laughing.

“So what’s the latest one?”

Emma took a long swing of her beer.

“Oh you know, I’m cheating on you with August, I’m a horrible person, how could I do this to you, yadda yadda yadda.”

Regina chuckled.

“I got one better. According to the ringleader, August is our baby daddy and he’s courting you before sleeping with you and I’m giving you the silent treatment because I’m jealous.”  
“Don’t you think it’s getting a bit out of hands now?”

Regina played with the ice in her glass.

“No it’s perfect! The students are in a frenzy, our coworkers are watching us like hawks, it’s perfect!”  
“How is it perfect?”  
“While they are gossiping they aren’t fighting with each other and they stopped complaining about everything.”  
“O...kay… whatever. So when are we doing the big finish?”  
“At the dance next Friday.”  
“Right the dance we chaperone and where there will be lots of students.”  
“Exactly. The perfect place to end this whole thing.”  
"I can't wait for this whole thing to be over," Emma sighed.

Regina finished her drink.

“I’m sorry that being in a relationship with me is such a pain.”

Emma put her hand on Regina’s.

“Hey! That’s not what I’m saying at all. You’re a great person to be in a relationship with. I’ll just be glad when this whole thing is over and people will stop looking at everything that I do and try to decode everything that I say.”  
“You got that right.”

Regina refilled their drinks and raised her glass.

“A toast! To us!”  
“To us!”

They clinked their glasses and then proceed to have a good time.

On Friday night, people were having a blast at the winter dance. The music was great, people were in a good mood and having fun. Emma was wearing her best dress, a very nice form fitting red dress which fit her like a glove. She was trying her best not to look too much at Regina but the principal was stunning in her tight black dress. They stayed apart most of the evening, exchanging not so subtle glances. Near the end of the evening, August arrived and Emma could feel half the eyes on her and the other half on Regina to see her reaction.

August smiled at Emma, took her hand and kiss it lightly before going down on one knee.

“Emma Swan, I’ve been in love with you for years. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me?”  
“Yes!”

August placed the ring on Emma’s finger then got up and took her in his arms.

"Oh my gosh, you're getting married!" Mary-Margaret Blanchard squealed. "But I thought you and Principal Mills..."  
"Me and Principal Mills what?"  
"I thought you two were madly in love with each other," the girl said sheepishly.  
"We're coworkers and maybe even friends if you want to see it like that. But I'm engaged to August now and I would very much appreciate if you would leave my private life private. Spreading rumors can be dangerous Mary-Margaret, remember that. Now why don't you go ask David for a dance? He's been dying to invite you."

Later that night, Emma finally managed to get home where she shed her dress and snuggled up to the warm body in her bed.

"You're late."  
"I'm sorry."

Emma snuggled up closer and kissed the neck that was taunting her.

"It was a nice proposal but mine was way better."  
"That it was. Good night Mrs. Swan-Mills."


End file.
